WIDOWS' PENSIONS.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether he is aware that the naval pension payable to the widow,
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under 40 years of age, of an able seaman who lost his life with His Majesty's submarine 47, is 10s. 6d. per week; that all naval ratings are compelled to contribute towards the widows', orphans,' and old age contributory pensions; and, seeing that the widow of a civilian who is killed whilst at his work is eligible for an award under the Workmen's Compensation Act, whether he will consider an increase to the present naval scales of pensions to widows in order to prevent the loss of the compulsory contributory widows' pension?

Mr. ALEXANDER

The answers to the first and second parts of the question are in the affirmative, subject to the qualification that 10s. 6d. a week is the minimum rate of pension. A widow left with one, or more, of the rating's children to support is eligible for a pension of 17s. 6d. a week, with an allowance of 5s. a week in addition in respect of each child. As the hon. Baronet is aware, the principle underlying the last part of his question is one which affects all the Fighting Services, and the late Government, after careful examination, decided against this principle. I am looking into the matter but I can promise nothing.